Photo Gallery: French bulldog Alfie on the mend after donations pay for life-saving £2,800 heart surgery

When the Myburgh family took cheeky six-month old Alfie home, they thought his fatal heart condition would give him just months to live.

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Only a £2,800 operation could save the French bulldog – a cost too high for veterinary nurse Hannah Myburgh.

But after generous EDP readers, friends, family and strangers dug deep to raise the funds, the poorly pooch is now recovering at his Foxley home near Dereham after successful surgery.

“We didn’t know if he would make it a year,” Mrs Myburgh said.

“But the support we have had has been absolutely amazing. The response from the public was so overwhelming.

“Without them none of this have happened, so many people have help save Alfie’s life.”

Wearing a green T-shirt to stop him licking his wounds, Alfie should be back to playing with Mrs Myburgh and her two children within weeks.

And as soon as he is able, they want to take the playful pooch to the beach, a place he has never been but because of his energetic nature, they know he will love.

He will have to return to the vets for a check-up on his duo of heart conditions, aortic stenosis and pulmonic stenosis.

“Everything has gone as it should and now Alfie is taking it easy – not something he is used too!” Mrs Myburgh added.

The specialist heart valve procedure now allows the puppy’s blood to flow properly and should give him a normal life. Vets say he should live until he is at least 10 years old, which is an average age for a dog of his breed.

Mrs Myburgh did a skydive last month to add to the cash-pot for the operation, which has now exceeded £3,000.